Oral Cancer Screening

What is dental bonding?

There are two known pathways leading to oral cancer. The first is tobacco and alcohol use. The other is through exposure to HPV (human papilomma virus-HPV16). When oral cancer is detected early, survival rates are good (80-90%). Unfortunately, most oral cancers are not detected until later stages, which is why the death rate for oral cancer is high (45% five years after diagnosis) in the US. Oral cancer kills one person every hour of every day, this is why our dentist believes that doing an oral cancer screening is vital to helping maintain your oral health.

Am I at risk for oral cancer?

In the past, oral cancer was believed to be associated mostly with tobacco use. This is no longer the case. In fact, in people younger than 50 years old, HPV is now believed to be the main causative agent.

Because the risk factors now include tobacco, alcohol and exposure to HPV16, nearly every adult in the US is at risk for developing oral cancer. Like any cancer, it is only through early detection that your chances for survival improve.

Is it time for your oral cancer screening?

We enjoy taking the time to get to know our patients and provide them a best-in-class Hendersonville dentist experience.